Ship-salvaging device



1I LODATO.

SHIP SALVAGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED IuNE 5, 1920.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

3 SHEE'lS'-SHEET II J. LODATO. SHIP sALvAGIIIIG DEVICE.

I I APPLICATION FILED IuNE5, 1920..

Patented Apr. 19, 1921;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.y

J. LODATO.

SHIP SALVAGING DEVICE.v

APPLICATION man JUNE 5.1920.

1,375,055. Patented Apr.19,1921 i* 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH LoDATo, or OGDEN, UTAH.

SHIP-SALVAGING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Apr. 19, 19.21.*

Application filed June 5, 1920. Serial N o. 386,675.

T 0 all who/m, t may concern Be it known that I, JosEPH LoDA'roa citi- Zen of the United States, residing atgOgden, in the county of Weber and State of Utah, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ship-Salvaging Devices, of which the following is a specification.

4The invention contemplates the utilization of a series of inflatable bags at each side of a vessel or ship, which under normal conditions are deflated and stowed in compact form along the outboard rail of the ships side, and, when required, may with facility be lowered partly below the water level and there inflated to afford a buoyant support for aninjured ship to prevent sinking, and may with equal facility be adapted for use in raising sunken vessels and' in connection with dry docks, for repair work. Y

With the above ends in view the `invention consists .in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts including mechanism whereby the inflatable bags Vare positively lowered and subsequently raised. in similar manner and in operating means for such mechanism, together with means Vfor inflating the bags, all controlled from a central and single station,'and further in features of construction as will be hereinafter pointed out and claimed. Y

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention in which the parts are combined and arranged accordingto the best mode I' have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

In the preferred form of the invention as illustrated in the drawings- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a vessel equipped with my salvaging device, the inflatable bags being shown in normal position stowed away at the outboard side of the ship rail.

Fig. 2-.is a similar view of a .ship with the bags inflated and in buoyant position.

Fig. V3 is an enlarged sectional view showing transversely a portion `of the ships side together with one of the inflated bags in operative position, together with the hoisting and lowering mechanism and connections for inflating the bag.

Fig. 4 is a view from the outboard side of the vessel showing the partsof Fig. 3.

Y Fig'. 5 is a diagrammatic plan View showing the equipment and connections of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing means for holding the operating shafts.

For a general understanding of the equipment of the invention, reference may be had to Fig. 5 lof the drawings wherein the'diagrammatic showing of the invention is illustrated. in conventional form,`it being understood that the equipment may beinstalled at the most convenient and desirable parts of the vessel, which is indicated by the letter S.

yFor actuating the operative parts ofthe salvaging equipmentI employ an air'compressor 1, Vwhich is connected with two series of air reservoirs 2 and 3, ranged along the inboard .side of the vessel at suitable locations, and each of the reservoirs isconnected with an inflatable bag as. 4 by a flexible tubel or hose 5, the hose being attached to vthe reservoir, and the reservoir in each instance being connected to the compressor as by a vipe 6. The admission of motive fluid to. t e reservoirs is controlled from a central point 7, and through this control device the bags may be inflated from their respective reservoirs.

In connection with the means forlowering and raising the bags preparatory to inflation and subsequent to deation a series of pneumatic motors 8 is employed, one for veach bag, and each motor is designed to revolve a shaft 9 towhich it is operatively connected, and the motors have pipe connection to the air compressor as indicated at 10, and their operation is controlledfrom the device 11.

The deflated bags are designed to be low- 'ered through the instrumentality of the air motors, to position, then to Vbe initially inflated from the reservoirs 2 from a control device12,`and completely inflated bymotive fluid passing through the Vreservoirs under pressure from the air compressor 1. Thus the entire equipment is controlled and oper- L ated, as by the helmsman, from avsingle station through the three control devices 7 11, and 12.

' The inflatable bags 4 are each preferably made up of an inner rubber tube or casing 13 which of course is air tight, and covered with a casing of fabric 14, and an outer casing 15, the whole being encircled vby 'y Y cables 16 preferably of; steel and laid thereonv as a reinforcing network to Aprovide flex-y v ible vwalls for the inflated bag in order that 'y not in use, the mechanism being actuated it may be folded or compressed into compact form when not in use, and to sustain the interior pressure of airr when the bag is.

inflated. Y

The reservoir 2 and the bag 4 are connect? ed by the flexible pipe or hose 5 attached respectively at "17 and 18 to the bag and reservoir, the reservoir being at Ytheinboar-d side of the vessel as in Fig. 3, and the bag at the outboard side, and the flexible hose 5 passing through an opening in the side of the vessel provided for thepurpose.

' Each bag is provided with mechanism for 'Y ,positively lowering it tothe water llevel for inflation and with similar mechanism kfor raising the bag to elevated position when from the shaft 9rthrough the pneumatic motor 8 connected thereto. The several devices adapted for use with each bagvfor lowering and raising the same are arranged in series,

a suitable number being provided for each bag in order that itv may bevmanipulated with facility and despatch, andthe series of devices for each bag is actuated simultaneously from the respective shafts 9. The shafts 9 are mounted along the rail of the Vship or vessel and each unit or series of devices comprises pairs of drums 18 and 14 fixed torevolve withthe shaft as indicated in Fgf 4, Over which may be wound or unwound the cables 15 and 16 respectively.

naled ina bracket 19 riveted to the outside` of the hull of the ,vessel beneath the water line, and the loopeden-d 2O of the cable is attached to an eye 21.of a metallic bracket4 22 fixed to the `bag-11. It will be apparent Y that the function of this cable is to draw down, beneath the water line, the deflated bag, andthe series of draw cables is disposed along the side of the ship in suitable numbers, in order that the bag may with uniformity and despatch be Adrawn downwardly to proper position. rlfhe loweringof the bag to position is accomplished by the ro- 55,

tation Vofthe/shaft 9 through its pneumatic motor.

The bag is drawn upwardly by the action of a complementary series of cables 15 which are hoist cables passing from the drum 13 over the guide pulley 23 journaled on a davit 24 fixed to the ship or vessel and thence passing around the bag and through the eye21 of the bracket 22 on the bag. One end of this cable 15is attached at 25to the davit and just beneath this attached end is ing vof the cable 15 causes the bagy to be arranged a cross arm v26 fixed'to the cable and extending equidistant at the sides thereof. From the respective ends of the cross arm V,are extended a pair of ropes 27, 28 whichV converge and are attached or spliced t0 the cable at 29, to form a stop or abutment for the eye 21 to engage. Thus, when the deflated bag is to be hoisted fromi lowered position, the shaftV 9 is turned clockwise to-unwind the cable 16', and wind the cable 15 on its drum 13', and the bag is bodily hoisted. by theseries of looped cables 215 until the eye 21 encounters 'the' splice or joint 29 on cable'15. The continued windrolled by the action of the branch cords or cables 27 28, thus compactly reducing the Abulk of the deflated bag in order that it may bestowed away at the rail of the ship to ocn cupythe smallest possible space. g5

yIt will be understood that the several draw cables and the complementary hoist cables perform theirV functions synchronously'and in this manner the defiated bag` may positively be lowered'while at a uniform level,'and may also be-positively hoist-Y Y ed up the side ofthe ship while at uniform level, thus providing a facile and Vsmooth working apparatusforlowering and raising the bag.

rlhe flexible air pipe or` hose 5 between the air reservoir. an-d buoyant bag is of course extended when Vthe bag is lowered, and when the bag is raised or hoisted to the rail of the ship the hose or pipe is coiled or compactly folded between the reservoir and the bag and arranged in ship-shape fashion to preserve its durability and reduce wear thereon.

In operation, in case of emergency when the proper signal is given, the helmsman, or i officer in charge starts the air motors 8 from the control -device 11 at the central station, t o revolve the shafts 9. The shafts revolve Y their respective pairs of drums, unwinding the hoist vcables and winding thedrawcables to pull down the deflated bags. The initial motion of the bags is to unroll. from their compacted form, and they are then drawn directly down tothe water level, the shafts being held in stationary position by means of pawls 30 and ratchet wheels 31 on the shafts, or lother suitable devices may befem-v Vployed to hold the drums and Vtheir cablesV stationary. after the required position of the bags has been reached. The deflated bags are nowV ready for inflation and the reservoirs 2 are opened for communication with the bags by manipulating the control device 12 forthe reservoirs providing an' 125 initial supply tothe bags, which is then A supplemented from the air compressor'under control of the device 7 Vwhich provides air under pressure to the bags until they have been filled to their capacity. In this Inan- 130 ner the two series of bags may be filled to buoyancy with air in order to afford a support for the damaged ship and to maintain it afloat.

After having performed their required functions, pressure is released from the bags under control ofthe devices 7 and 12, and the bags are deflated and ready to be hoisted to inoperative position. The shafts 9 are now revolved in reverse direction, under power from theair motors 8, and the drums 13 and 14 are turned to wind the hoist cable 15 and unwind the draw'cable 16, with the result that the deflated bags are elevatedv bodily and with a uniform motion.

Whenthe splice or abutment 29 encounters the eye 21 on the bag, the passage of the Y cable through the eye is thus stopped, and from this point, asl the Winding of the cable 15 continues, ythe two ropes 27 and 28 are also caused to wrap around the deiiated bag with the result that the bag is rolled or wrapped into small compact form, and by the time the bag reaches the cross arm 26 the two ropes have been tightly wrapped about the bag as in Fig. 1 and the bags are stowed away at the outboard side of the ships rail.

Under control of the devices atA the central Vcontrol station the bags may be lowered and inflated, and subsequently deflated and hoisted to position with rapidity and convenience. The number and size of the bags used may be determined by the size and other factors of the ship to be equipped, and while I have not illustrated in detail all the devices and elements of a complete installation, the essential parts of the equipment are herein illustrated and described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a ship salvaging device, the combination with an inflatable bag, of operative means for positively drawing the bagto operative position at the water level, means for inflating the bag, means for deiating the'k bag, means for hoisting the deflated'bag to inoperative position and for wrapping'the bag upon itself in compact form.

2. In a ship salvagingfdevice, the combination with an inflatable bag, of means for 'positively drawing the bag to operative position and for inflating said bag, means for deflating the bag, means for elevating' thek bag, and means co-acting with said elevating means for wrapping the bag upon itself and stowing the bag, as described. v

3. In a ship` salvaging device, the combination with an inflatable bag, of an operating shaft and a pair of drums thereon, op-` positely wound cables on said drums operatively engaging said bag, and means for actuating said shaft in reverse directions to successively lower the bag to buoyant supporting position and to elevate and roll said bag with one'of said cables to normal position.

41. In a salvaging device as described, the` y combination with an inflatable, normally elebag upon itself to compact form as it approaches normal position. Y

5. In a salvaging device as described, the combination with an iniatable buoyant bag, of a reversible shaft and a pair of drums thereon, oppositely wound cables'on said t drums operatively engaging said bag, wrapping ropes on one of said cables, and means for operating said shaft to successively lower the bag to buoyant supporting position and to elevate said bag whereby the bag is wrapped uponitself to compact form as it approaches its normal elevated position.

6. 'Ihe combination with the bag as described, of a shaft and drums thereon, a draw rope on one drum connected to the bag, a hoist rope adapted to wind in opposite direction on the other drum and passed around the bag, a transverse arm on the hoist rope, and wrapping ropes attached at the ends of said arm and to the hoist rope for the purpose described.

7 The combination with a bag as described, of a draw cable having a guide-support and attached to the bag, a hoist `cable passed around the bag and through a member thereon, means for winding the cables in opposite directions, and means on the hoist cable for wrapping the bag as the latter is elevated to inoperative position.

8. In a salvaging device the combination with an iniiatable, Vbuoyant bag carried by aV ship, of a draw cable extended down the outside of the ship, a guide device on the ship for said cable and an eye-bracket on the bag to which said cable is attached, a hoist cable passed around the lbag and through said eye-bracket, means for operating said cables in opposite directions, a davit for supportin one end of the hoist cable, a cross arm on t e hoist cable near said davit, a

pair of wrapping ropes attached at the ends n JOSEPH LoDATo. 

